If You Were in My Shoes
by SaraSeru13
Summary: Roxas is rich and Ven is poor. What happens when they switch places for a week? eventual AkuRoku
1. Expositions

**Author's Note: **Okay so this is my first fic, so I am very, very nervous! Nice comments and constructive criticism is wanted. I hope you enjoy it!

characters (c) Square

and for some reason it won't show up on my fan fic page, but it is my story. just so you know

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"So are you going to do it?"

Roxas peered from his issue of _WIRED_ magazine to address his brunette accomplice.

"What do you mean 'So are you going to do it'"?

"You know…go see Namine tonight," Sora drawled as he took another sip from his lemonade.

"Um…well, I'm not sure if I want to" Roxas hesitated to answer. He'd only just met Namine and she looked like a nice girl – long blonde hair, nice body, blue eyes that matched Roxas'- but not Roxas' type

"Oh, come on! You have to!" Sora yelled as he practically jumped out of his pool chair in response to Roxas answer.

"She's, like…perfect! And she's from a good family. Do you know what this could do to you if you were to date her?"

"I don't know, Sora. Get my pictures in some 'Millionaires of Tomorrow' Magazine with an article about how Namine and I are a match made in heaven? I just met her a week ago and I don't even know if she's my type." Roxas returned to his magazine trying to avoid eye contact with Sora.

"I don't see why not. You have everything in the world at your disposal and you just decide that you don't want to be with the prettiest girl on the scene. She's practically begging to go out with you! And people say that you're the smart one. Ha." Sora mused as he walked over to the diving board to jump into Roxas' family pool.

It was true, though, that Roxas had it all – from birth he was destined to live the easy life. His mother a famous lawyer and his father a successful businessman, so there were no financial worries in his future. He lived in a big apartment on the Upper West Side in Twilight Town and his parent's owned a Beach House on the shores of Destiny Island. Roxas wore the best designer clothes that money could buy and was up to date on the latest technological trends. He got along well with his peers, and was adored by his superiors. No one could ever possibly hate Roxas because he was just so nice to everyone he met. With his porcelain skin, slightly highlighted blond locks, and deep blue eyes, Roxas could get any girl he ever wanted. Roxas' life was going to be perfect no matter what way he accomplished it. Nothing could ever get in his way from being successful or make him stray from the pre chosen path of life he's on. Absolutely nothing.

"Ventus Canty, get your ass down here so we can get something to eat!" The shrill voice rose through the small apartment until it hit Ven's room, eliciting a mumbled reply from the blonde teenager.

"Ugh. Be right there."

It was Monday, so that meant the Cantys were going to the soup kitchen for dinner. They had to get there early because if you didn't, the food would be cold and no seats would be left. Ven and what little family he had took the trip down to Twilight Town Soup Kitchen #3 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday due to their low income. Ven didn't mind though, he made plenty of friends while at the kitchen.

Quickly slipping on his shoes and grabbing his duffel bag, Ven darted out of his room and down the stairs of their apartment leading to the front door where his sister's and father were awaiting him.

"It's about time you got here! Tonight's pasta night and I'm not getting cold pasta!" snapped Ven's older, and very opinionated sister Aqua.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry. I was kinda finishing up a book and –"

"Hey, you know that we always leave at 5:15. Set an alarm."

Ven couldn't argue with that. He and his family had been going to the Kitchen as long as he could remember.

So Ven walked in silence as Aqua argued with his father about how he needs to find a job, how she's the only one supporting this family, and how she's stressed from applying for scholarship after scholarship because they don't have enough money to pay for her tuition for Radiant Garden Tech. Aqua worked her ass off to get into college and was the primary source of income at the time. She worked at the A&P and was the hostess for one of the fanciest restaurants in Twilight Town, Chanterelle.

When the family reached the Twilight Town Soup Kitchen #3, there was already a large line forming due to the popularity of pasta night, which was not a good sign for Ven's eardrums.

"You see, Ven? If you weren't BS-ing we could've been at the front of this line! But no, you had to try to finish your stupid book!" Aqua impatiently grabbed Xion by the hand and stomped off to get a place for them in the vastly growing line.

"It's okay, Ven, she doesn't mean it." Ven's Dad tussled Ven's blonde hair as he wandered over to the common area to find a table. Ven detected that the undertone in his father's voice implied that the reassurance wasn't only for him.

Whether the comforting words were meant for Ven or not, Aqua did mean it. Every word she said. Ven's dad had lost his third job this year, and it didn't seem like he was going to find another job any time soon. Ever since Ven's Mom died while giving birth to his younger sister Xion, his Dad has never been the same.

Ven reluctantly made his way over to the pasta line, which at that point extended out the door, and waited patiently for fifteen minutes until he reached where you pick up your trays before you receive your food. At least he'd get to see Carl today. Carl usually distributed the food at the Kitchen and he always had a good story to share with Ven.

As Ven approached the very tasty smelling pasta, he noticed that the person serving the food was not the usual Carl. Heck, he didn't even look like Carl at all.

Instead of a bald head with a snowy white beard was fiery red hair that was messily tied back in a ponytail. A beer keg belly was replaced with a thin frame. Rather than dull hazel eyes due to old age, there were sharp green eyes with teardrop shaped tattoos under them.

As far as Ven was concerned, this new guy looked like he belonged in some sort of gang. However, Ven wasn't one to judge. Maybe this new guy could be not so bad.

It seemed though that Ven had been staring he didn't notice that it was his turn to receive the pasta he originally got on line for.

"Um. Excuse me? Are you going to get your pasta or just space out like that?" The redhead questioned with a raised eyebrow. "There are other people waiting you know."

Ven quickly snapped back into reality, realizing there was a line of hungry people behind him and a somewhat confused looking redhead in front of him.

"Huh? What? Oh. I'm sorry. It's just you're not Carl." The man chuckled to himself as he scooped pasta into Ven's empty pasta bowl.

"Yeah, I'm not Carl. I'm actually his grandson. I'm taking over his shifts from now on." The young man eyed Ven teasingly. "Why, is that a problem? You don't like to be served by guys with red hair and facial tattoos?"

"No! Not at all, I was just curious and –"

The guy standing before him chortled. "Hey, it's okay, I was just pulling your leg. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" What a strange name, but then again Ventus was Ven's real name.

"Mine's Ven." Despite the awkward introduction, Ven was starting to warm up to this stranger.

Axel smiled warmly. "Huh. Ven. I kinda like it. Well, Ven, I hope you enjoy your pasta."

"I'll try." And with that Ven took his trey and made his way over to the table where his family was sitting. Maybe him and Axel could be friends. He's no Carl, but for now he'd have to do.


	2. Have we met before?

**Author's Note: **Yay chapter two! Thanks so much for all of the reviews and such! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well! :D

standard disclaimers apply :]

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Roxas had to make a decision fast – he could either a) go have lunch with Namine today or b) bail on Namine like he did last night and hear Sora's speech on how he needs to find a girlfriend by the end of the summer or he will be forced to date someone hand chosen for him.

Truth be told, Roxas didn't really want a girlfriend to begin with. He was very content with being single. Nevertheless in the world that Roxas lived in, arm candy was part very much appreciated and it makes for good publicity. He also needed an escort for his National Scholars of Tomorrow induction next week, so he really needed to make this thing with Namine work out.

So Roxas ended up reluctantly calling Namine to tell her that he'd meet her at Anthuriums for lunch. She seemed excited on the phone; Roxas was surprised that she would accept his invitation after he rudely ignored her first invitation.

"Larxene! I'm going out to lunch today! Tell Mom, okay?"

"Fine, but it's going to cost you!" Larxene answered. It wouldn't cost Roxas anything. Larxene was just glad to finally get her little brother out of the house so she could have the pool all to herself and tan, without Roxas and Sora splashing her to the point of having to go back inside.

Roxas quickly slipped on some nice jeans, a Cali button down shirt from Hollister, some sliders, and to top it all off he sprayed some AXE on. It couldn't hurt and he wasn't dressing to impress.

Anthuriums wasn't that far away, so Roxas could walk there in no time. Grabbing his sunglasses and duffel bag, he headed out the door and on his way into town.

It was quite natural for Roxas to turn heads as he walked by. He'd done so ever since he was young. Little old ladies would constantly pinch his cheeks when his mother would take him to the park. Now, girls form groups giggling wondering if he's a model or something like that.

For one thing, Roxas would never model. He claimed to be "too smart for that" and from what Sora says, male modeling is a hard job. A job that Roxas would never have the pleasure of experiencing.

As Roxas was enjoying his stroll to the lunch he did not want to attend, he must have lost his footing and crashed into some stranger.

Roxas stuttered in embarrassment. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Did I break anything? I can totally pay for it –"

"Jeez, man, it's okay. I'm fine and nothing's broken." A capped youth about his age picked up the boxes he was carrying and dusted off his jeans.

"Hey, well, if you need any help I can grab some of those boxes for you and carry some to –" Roxas immediately cut himself off when he got a look at the boys face when he was done dusting off his pants.

He had deep blue eyes, thin lips, a heart-shaped head, and pale skin, just like Roxas. From under the cap he could see some blond hair poking out, the same color as Roxas' hair. His body was not muscular but thin and sort-of trim, just like Roxas. Roxas was sure he hadn't bumped into a person, not a mirror.

"Um have we met before?"

----

"Um, have we met before?"

Ven wasn't sure if he was looking at a person or into a mirror. The kid he just bumped into looked just like him, all the way down to the way down to his dimples. He could be his long lost brother. But this guy was dressed too nicely to be his brother.

And to think Ven was just on his way to deliver some boxes to the Soup Kitchen for Axel. Aqua said that he needed some boxes to put the extra cans of tomato soup that got delivered in yesterday and Ven was more than glad to help.

But for now the boxes would have to wait because Ven's double was reaching out to take his hat off. The kid just stared at him once he accomplished taking off Ven's cap, revealing his really bad hat hair.

Ven couldn't help stare too. The clone was so nicely dressed, he looked like he stepped out of some fashion magazine. His clothes probably cost more than Ven's by sixty percent. It blew his mind.

"Um, no. I don't think we've met." Ven tried to say something because it looked kind of awkward just staring at this kid in the middle of the sidewalk in a very busy part of town.

"Oh, because you look –"

"Just like me?" They were even finishing each other's sentences. This was too weird.

"Um, well, yeah." The clone let out a stiff laugh, which only made the tension between the two boys grow even more.

"I'm Roxas." He stuck out his hand waiting for Ven to shake it.

The other blond accepted. "Ven. Hey, why don't we get out of the way so people can actually walk, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." The two boys took the boxes and walked over to the conveniently placed Twilight Town Central Park, where they found bench so they could sit down and talk with out causing a traffic jam.

"So are you from around here?" The boy named Roxas asked Ven as he still examined his face.

"Um, yeah. I live over a general store in midtown. Nothing special really, what about you?"

"I live in the Upper West Side." Roxas ran his hand through his hair and took a gulp as if it were hard to answer the question. Ven was completely aware of the area he was referring to. The apartments had pools on the roofs there. Ven's clone was definitely living the life.

"Wow, it must be really nice up there."

"Oh, yea,h I guess it is. Um, I see you're carrying a duffel bag like me," Roxas casually pointed out his bag, trying to make the situation less awkward.

"Yeah, I never –"

"Leave home with out it." Okay, he would really have to stop that.

"Yeah. Hey, when's your birthday?" Maybe this Roxas was Ven's twin, if they had the same birthday that's all the proof he'd need.

"April 13th. You?"

"November 13th. Only a couple of months away." Dammit. Ven was so sure Roxas was his twin.

"Yeah, so where are you headin' off to with those boxes?"

"Oh, over to the Soup Kitchen to give 'em to a friend."

"Huh, that's so nice of you. I'm off to a lunch I don't want to go to. At all." Roxas sunk into the bench and gave an exasperated sigh.

"You don't know what it's like trying to have to impress everyone. I mean, I'm getting inducted into this stupid honors club that I didn't even want to do. My dad forced me into doing it because he said it would be good for my future. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cage, you know?"

"Actually I don't." Ven replied looking at Roxas, who now is almost completely slumped on the park bench

"In my family, my older sister Aqua makes most of the money, and she forced me to get a job as well. But other than that my future isn't set. I come and go as I please in my house, just as long as I'm there for dinner and to take care of my little sister Xion. I go to school during the year but I have no real plans for the future. So I'm like the complete opposite of you."

Roxas' posture started to change as Ven was talking. He started thinking about what Ven had said; about all of the freedom. A world where he didn't have to worry about looking perfect, where he didn't have to worry about being in all the elite clubs, where he didn't have to worry about having a girlfriend. Then it all hit Roxas like a ton of bricks. The most brilliant idea he'd ever thought, the scam of the century.

"That's it!"

"What's it?" Ven replied, looking very confused as Roxas jumped out of his seat.

"We switch places!"

Ven gaped. He couldn't be serious."Excuse me?"

"Ven, don't you see? It's perfect! You can see what it's like to live like I do you and I can see what it's like to live like you do. To see what it means to not have a care in the world! To come and go as I please! To-"

"Whoa there, buddy!" Ven snapped. Apparently, he was serious.

"Now, this idea might seem all fine and dandy now, but what about if we get caught? What's going to happen then?"

"Oh, you worry too much! We look exactly alike! No one will know! I'll tell you everything you need to know about being me and you tell me everything I need to know about being you. And in a week or so we'll switch back without anyone ever knowing!"

"Okay, but how are we gonna keep in touch in case something goes wrong? I don't have a cell phone and if you call my house we'd be exposed."

"You can borrow one of mine!" Roxas didn't care how this happened, he wanted to taste freedom so badly.

"You really want to do this, don't you?" Ven asked with a raised eyebrow.

Roxas didn't waver. "More than you'll ever know."

"Well then, I guess I have no choice. It looks as if you'd bite my arm off if I said no."

Ven sighed. This wasn't going to end well, but he did want to experience the good life. He'd had to struggle for survival all his life, maybe it was time for his hard efforts to be rewarded.

"Oh, my gosh! Thank you! I have so much to tell you! About my parents, about Sora, about my plans. Oh, shit! My plans! I have to text Namine and tell her I can't make it!"

"Namine?"

"I'll explain later, but for now I want to hear all about your life."

"Sure, why not. We've obviously got all afternoon."

Roxas smiled giddily. "Good, because I wouldn't have let you go anyway."

"I should have guessed." And with that Ven started telling Roxas all about his life from his deceased mother to his favorite toppings on ice cream. And Roxas listened with wide eyes as if he were being told some sort of fairy tale. Something in the back of Ven's mind was telling him this might actually work, but it was a small part in Ven's mind. Stuff like this only happens in fairy tales. But this is real life, and Ven's life was no fairy tale to begin with.


	3. Start of a New Life

**Author's Note:** Yay! I'm back! Next chapter is up! I hope you like it and sorry for the lack of updates. School's really busy. :(

Characters are not mine, but i wish they were.

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"Okay, so here's my life," Roxas eagerly started. He'd never old anyone his whole life story before, but that wouldn't stop him from leaving everything out on the table.

"I live at the El Dorado apartment building. And I'm apartment 0813 on the 10th floor. I have one sister named Larxene; she's kind of a bitch sometimes, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly. My mom and dad aren't really home much in the summer, so you won't have to deal with them. My room has a balcony in it, and it overlooks the park. Our private pool is on the 15th floor and –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you have a private pool?" Ven cut in abruptly. "The closest thing I have to a pool is my bathtub!"

"Excuse me, I'm talking here. Comments later. Okay, so where was I? Oh yes, so my best friend is Sora. He's the one you've gotta worry about. He'll be able to tell right away that you're not me. Also watch out for Sora's friend Riku. He's always trying to one-up me, so don't fall for any of this tricks, he can be a real asshole. And Sora's blind to his evil. I say that Sora's so gay for him, it's actually pretty funny.

"You must remember to be polite to your superiors, okay? You've got a reputation to uphold. Otherwise you'll be fine and no one will be able to notice a thing. Oh, and I almost forgot, you're going to have to call Namine later. She's a girl that Sora's trying to set you, I mean me, up with. I think that's about it."

"Can I speak now?" Roxas raised one eyebrow detecting some annoyance in Ven's voice.

"Yes, yes you may."

"Okay, are you sure that you wanna give up all that to live the suckish life I live? I mean, if I were you, I'd never wanna give up a frickin' private pool."

"You don't understand, Ven – I need to do this. I need to experience the real world!" Ven stared at Roxas like he had fifty heads. This boy had truly lost his mind. There was no way in hell someone with a life like that would want to give it all up. There had to be another reason why that he wanted to do this. Something he wasn't telling Ven.

"Alright, if you say so, Mr. Crazy. But first, we need to change clothes. I can't go back to your house in this outfit." Ven was right; he was currently wearing an old T-shirt with holes on the bottom with baggy pants and worn out flip-flops. If he showed up to Roxas' place in that attire, he'd be kicked out in a heartbeat.

"Oh yeah, sure, we've gotta find a restroom or something." Both boys grabbed the boxes that still needed to be delivered and went into the nearest restroom and switched their clothes. They didn't even get weird looks for changing because they looked so similar, no one noticed the difference.

"Okay so you've got everything? The boxes need to be delivered ASAP, and the Soup Kitchen is –"

"I know where it all is, Ven. I'll be fine. Trust me." Roxas smiled, reassuring the reluctant Ven.

"You really think this is gonna work?"

"I know it is. The extra cell phone's gonna be on your nightstand, okay? Now, go home!" Roxas said with a wink. And with that they were both on their separate ways. Roxas to the soup kitchen to deliver the surprisingly not heavy boxes, and Ven to one of the fanciest apartment complexes in the whole city.

-----

Ven stood in the elevator trying to remember which floor Roxas lived on. Was it the 15th? No, that's where the pool was. Damn rich people and their private pools. Ven had to think of the floor quickly before someone saw him, since it's not considered normal for a person to be just standing in an elevator without knowing which floor their destination is.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened. Oh crap, this was it. It'd all over. He'd be exposed for the fraud he really was. And what would happen then? Would he go to jail? Ven almost had a heart attack as tears started to form; jail was not an option for him at this point. The doors inched open little by little, killing Ven in the suspense. It was truly over, and he actually thought this was going to work.

"Roxas! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at lunch with Namine?" A brown blob shouted as Ven tried to wipe the forming tears from his eyes. Ven couldn't handle so much pressure that early in the afternoon.

"What's the matter Roxas, did you get dumped? I wouldn't be surprised if you did." That voice was different than the brown blob's. As his eyes cleared up he was able to make out the images before him.

There were two boys, both about his age. One had the most unnaturally spiky brunette hair with big blue eyes. The other had long, and equally unnatural, silver hair and was significantly taller then the brunette. He also looked very mean, like he couldn't stand to see Ven's face.

"Um, what? Oh, no. I uh, we just decided that today wasn't a good day to meet so we rescheduled to go to lunch another day…?" Ven hoped to god that his excuse sounded convincing. The shorter boy seemed to be sold, but the silver haired one appeared to be not buying it.

"You sure, Rox-ass? Because you know your induction is in a week, and I'd be a shame if you showed up there all alone with no –"

"Oh, cut it out, Riku!" The brunette boy hit the kid named Riku who Roxas had warned Ven about. And what's this talk of an induction? Roxas didn't tell Ven anything about getting inducted into something.

"Roxas is going to get a date. You're just jealous, that's all." Sora stood tall and assured of himself and Roxas.

Riku scoffed. "Yeah right, Sora. Why would I be jealous of him?"

"Because he gets to spend time with me and I know that kills you inside." Sora smirked.

Riku grimaced, "Pfft, yeah sure. Whatever."

As the two boys continued to argue like a married couple, Ven had to think of a hasty escape. He just wanted to get to his – I mean Roxas' – room, if he could only remember the damned floor number! He needs to call Roxas and ask him about this, this, induction nonsense.

"Hey, Roxas, are you going to your room? Because I wanna go if you're going up there. Let's leave Mr. Debbie Downer all alone in the lobby." Sora waltzed into the elevator next to Ven and pressed the tenth floor button without even asking Ven if he was actually going to Roxas' room. Ven knew Roxas' apartment was close to 15! He mentally kicked himself for not remembering.

As the door started to close Sora waved goodbye to Riku in a very alluring fashion. Maybe Roxas was right about the whole Sora wanting Riku thing, because Sora's maneuvers seemed to have an effect on Riku. He just stood there stiff as a board and his face started to flush red as Sora continued to wave his fingers. Weird indeed.

"So Roxas, what are we gunna do?" Big blue eyes were now glued to Ven. They were now rising up to the tenth floor and Ven was at a loss for words.

"Um, well I was planning on, um, reading? For a bit. If that's okay with you?"

"Sure man, that's all good." Sora smiled as he led Ven out of the elevator and toward his room.

"I'll just watch some TV or go up to the pool. And don't worry about what Riku said, we all know he's envious of you." Sora chuckled to himself as a slight smile spread on his lips.

Ven took the keys that Roxas had given him out of his bag and tried to open the door. However there were so many keys, and it wouldn't look good if he kept on trying out keys to see which one worked. After trying out two failed keys, he gave them to Sora so he could open the door.

Sora gave Ven a strange look when he handed him the keys. Even though Roxas had a lot of keys, he always remembered which one was which. Something fishy was going on. But Sora didn't want to think about that right now, there were much more important things to think about. Like that nice, big flat screen TV Roxas had in his living room.


	4. Do you need help with those boxes?

**Author's Note: ** Hey all! I'm sorry i haven't posted in so long, it's been really busy with all of the stuff i do in school. However, i bear gifts to all of my readers. I hope you like this chapter. You finally get what you want ;D

Thanks so much for all the reviews and favorites, I never thought this story would get so big.

**Disclaimer**: i don't own the characters :(

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Those boxes Ven gave to Roxas weren't as heavy as he thought they would be. The Soup Kitchen was only a block or two away, so he wouldn't have to carry them for long. The Twilight Town Soup Kitchen #3 was quite large, for a soup kitchen and all. It was probably refurbished in the last year or so, because all of the kitchen appliances and tables looked like new.

Ven had told Roxas to give the boxes to a guy named Axel, funny name. He said that Axel had red hair and two tattoos under his eyes, so it should be easy to spot him. This guy sounded intimidating. Roxas didn't want to get into any kind of trouble on his first day pretending to be Ven. He didn't really know how to deal with people who were of a lower economic class.

Roxas heard noise coming from the back room. It must be that Axel guy. He quietly took the boxes and tried to quietly slip into the immense storage room. Roxas could kind of see. What he thought was, Axel's butt in the air as he was organizing some things. There were some boxes blocking the crouching figure's head, so he wasn't sure if it actually was Axel.

While being distracted with trying to figure out if the hunched frame was actually Axel's, Roxas tripped on some sort of extension chord, that was perfectly placed so Roxas would trip on it regardless of if he was paying attention or not. With a large crash, he was on the ground with boxes scattered all around him. Roxas could feel a bump starting to form on this head, how pleasant.

"Is anybody there?" Oh shit, I'm caught. Roxas thought as the husky voice called out into his general direction. Roxas quickly hid in one of the larger boxes, trying to completely avoid the situation.

"I know someone's here, so show yourself. Or I'll be forced to use some of my karate moves on you! I know self defense!" The foot steps were drawing near. Roxas curled up into a ball inside the box. He wanted to die, no he wanted to die, be brought back to life, and then die again.

Suddenly, Roxas felt his box being lifted up from behind, causing him to fall right out onto the cold storage room floor. Slowly, Roxas shifted his body around so he was sitting and facing the voice. Little by little he opened up his eyes and started to take in the image before him.

It was defiantly Axel standing before him alright. No doubt in Roxas' mind, what so ever. He was tall, thin, and somewhat muscular. His hair wasn't just any old red, but a fire engine red. It looked as if it could set fire to anything it touched. It made Roxas want to reach out and feel it to see if it was real. His eyes were a piercing green, that seemed to see right though Roxas' act. Those eyes contrasted beautifully with his pale skin. And he did have tattoo's under his eyes, a tear drop under each eye. How exotic.

Roxas wanted to feel his face too, to see if his skin was soft and to see if the tattoos were real. Was this guy even real to begin with? His lips were slightly curved at the sides, as they pealed into a grin hinting that Axel recognized who Roxas was. Oh crap, does that mean he knew? Did he know that Roxas was not Ven?

"Hey. Ven, right? Do you need any help? You should've said it was you, I could've helped you carry some of this stuff in." He was addressing Roxas but the change in name, and the sudden compulsion to drag Axel down onto the floor and idly trace his face with intrigued fingers, made Roxas not pay attention to a word that Axel had just said to him.

"Um, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. I just tripped, that's all." Could Roxas sound any less cool. Usually he was good with words, but this guy made him tongue tied.

"Well I'm glad you're alright. C'mon, I'll help you get these boxes stacked. They're not gonna do it themselves you know." Axel held out his hand and Roxas, reluctantly, took his hand and was pulled up onto his feet. Axel's hands were soft, it made Roxas want to touch his face even more. However Roxas had to fight back his urges, he'd just met this guy, and it would be pretty weird if he just walked up to Axel and started rubbing his cheeks.

"Okay, sounds like a good idea."

"That's the spirit Ven." Being called Ven was going to take some getting used to, but Roxas knew he'd adjust easily.

So, Axel and Roxas cleaned up the boxes together. Axel telling Roxas, who he thought was Ven, about how he got started working there, and other little tid-bits about his life. Even though he recalled already telling him the reason a day or two ago why he was working in the kitchen. Ven seemed a little different to Axel, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he wasn't the same. He seemed more, open? Nah, that wasn't it, but what ever it was Axel liked it.

"So, what's up with your life right now Ven? Last time I saw you, you were getting verbally abused by your sister. What's her name again?" Oh crap, what was Ven's sister's name again? It was like water, water, aqua, Aqua! If Roxas hesitated too much, he'd be figured out for sure.

"Aqua! Her name's Aqua."

"Ah, yeah. I remember now."

"Yeah, um, I'm okay. She didn't do so much damage to my fragile soul." Roxas joked, hoping that sounded believable. Ven told Roxas that his sister was verbally abusive, but he never went to the extent to actually telling him what she said to Ven.

"Okay, that's good because she seemed to really get you down." Axel lifted up another box and placed it on a high shelf.

"I mean, you looked like you were gunna cry." How bad was Ven's sister anyway? Ven said that his sister could be mean at times, but to the extent of making him cry?

"Ah, well, I'm tough. I can handle it myself." Roxas lied. He didn't know if he could handle it. He didn't even meet Ven's sister yet. And the idea of going to Ven's house to live, was sounding less and less appealing to him.

"Sure, I just want to let you know that if she trys to pull anything, just let me know. We're friends now Ven, and as your friend, I've gotta look out for you. Okay?" Roxas never had anyone say that to him before. Sora never said he'd look out for him, but Roxas knew he'd do it anyway, right?

"Thanks Axel, that means a lot."A soft smile came across Roxas. Axel seemed to smile too, his green eyes lighting up. Too bad he was unaware of the fact that he wasn't really talking to Ven.

"Okay well enough talking, we've gotta get these boxes up before dinner. What day is it? Wednesday? Does that mean you're eating here tonight?"

"Um, yeah, yes! I am eating here tonight." Ven did mention something about eating here every other day.

"Sweet, so we can just hang here unitl dinner starts." More time to spend with Axel, the idea appealed to Roxas a great deal.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Excellent. Now, let's finish putting these boxes away." Roxas didn't care if he had to stack boxes for the rest of the night, being with Axel made him feel more at home than being in his actual house.


	5. Ring Are You There?

Wow. I bet you all thought I died didn't you? Well, I did not. I was swamped with a massive load of school work though. But, I'm glad this fic is getting updated and it's slowly but surely coming along. So thanks to all of the reviewers and faithful readers (if I still have any). I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Oh and PS, it was my birthday two days ago! woo-hoo!~ Yay for being one more year closer to dying.

**Disclaimer!** these characters aren't mine. (oh, and I'm sorry that I don't put the accent over the_ e_ in _Naminé. _I need to figure out how to do it on my computer, so later chapters will (hopefully) have the correct spelling)

* * *

"Dammit, Roxas, pick up your phone," Ven grumbled as he paced the outline of Roxas' rather large room. It had been two days since Ven had last heard from Roxas', and he was getting sick and tired of having to call him.

"_Hey, it's Roxas! I'm not here right now, so leave a message after the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as—_"

Ven slapped Roxas' spare phone shut with pent up frustration. He really needed to ask Roxas some important questions about things he left out in his "tell all". And he didn't have much time either, since he was to be going out to dinner with Namine tonight. Sora didn't mention the name of the restaurant, however he assured Ven that it was the nicest place in town.

It was now 6:45 – Ven's car was arriving at 7. Maybe he could try calling Roxas just one more time. He'd probably still be at dinner, the Canty's are usually the last family out of the soup kitchen because they always help clean up.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. _

Ven's patience wore thin. "C'mon Roxas. Pick up your phone."

"Hello?" Thank God he answered his phone this time.

"Roxas, it's Ven. I have a question or two for you to answer." Ven could hear a familiar voice in the background. Where had he heard it before?

Roxas glanced around. "Um, can we talk later, man? I'm kind of in the middle of something." In the middle of something Ven's ass, he needed these answers pronto.

"Roxas, you seemed to fail to tell me about your induction into your little smart people club." Ven's grimace was audible in his voice.

"The what? Oh, that. Um, yeah. Dude, can we talk later please? I'm kinda with someone now and it'd be rude of me if I talked on the phone with you."

"Okay, but the next time I call you I better get some answers." Ven wasn't in the mood to argue, he'd just have to deal with it for now. Stupid Roxas and his gentleman like behavior.

"Thank's buddy! You're the best," Roxas said with much excitement. Something was definitely up on the other side of the line, since the second voice was getting a bit louder. And Ven still couldn't remember whose voice it was.

This was getting ridiculous, "And call me by my name too. What's with this buddy crap?" All this pent up frustration was making Ven lash out, which wasn't a good sign.

"But darling, if I called you by your name, our secret would be exposed. I'm not alone you know," Roxas seemed to giggle, but unfortunately he was right. Ven could hear the other person who was with Roxas repeat the word _darling_ in a questioning tone.

"Okay, well, just remember to call me. Okay?"

"You got it." And with that, Ven ended the call and fell onto Roxas' bed. It was going to be a long week, Ven could just tell. He turned his head to look at the clock next Roxas' bed. 6:50. He still had ten more minutes.

Ven got up and walked over to the mirror. He looked rather dashing in his – or, rather, Roxas' – clothes. He never would have even imagined himself in these types of outfits, let alone this type of lifestyle. The small part of his mind was, still, telling him that this was a good idea. That he was not going to get found out and that he was getting rewarded for his hardships. But, as Ven stared at his reflection, he knew that this would not end the way he hoped it would. Not that Ven was a pessimist and didn't believe that miracles could happen. He just knew that, with his luck, things would not turn out for the best.

Still mid-thought, a voice called for Ven. "Master Roxas! Miss Namine is here!" The voice seemed to come from the main entrance. Ven must have lost track of the time. Those ten minutes went by fast.

This was it. Ven had to make a good impression, for Roxas' sake. Ven strode out of Roxas' room, and down the hall to greet Namine. She was a petite girl, standing there with her arms holding her small clutch. She wore a simple blue dress, that made her blonde hair seem even blonder and her blue eyes even bluer. However she looked like she was going to cry.

Amid the silence, she opened up her small mouth to speak. "It's nice to finally see you Roxas. I'm so glad you could have dinner with me tonight." Her voice was so quiet and delicate. It made Ven's heart break a little hearing her speak. She was so fragile; how could Roxas blow her off?

Ven pulled on his façade. "The pleasure is all mine." He bowed at the waist with his words. That seemed to make Namine happy. Good.

"Well, shall we be off to dinner then?" Ven said with a smile as he stepped forward and held out his arm, so she could take it.

Namine hesitated for a moment, looking as if she was not sure if she should take Ven's arm. "Yes, that'd be lovely." And with that, she took Ven's arm and they went to the elevator. Once inside the elevator, Ven pushed the lobby button and the door closed. It would take a minute or two until they got to the bottom, so he thought that he should strike a conversation with her.

"So, where exactly are we going tonight?"

"That's a surprise." Namine said quietly. Ven guess he'd have to wait then to find out where they'd be dining.

The elevator door opened and they walked out to the car, hand in hand. Namine's hand was so soft and cold, almost like a doll. They slid into the car and stayed silent for most of the ride there, their hands still intertwined. Like a child and its mother holding hands.

The ride was not long at all. They got to the restaurant within minutes. So far the night was turning out great, however all of Ven's reassured feelings were blown away in one fell swoop once he saw the name of the restaurant. Chanterelle, otherwise known as the restaurant where Aqua's primary job was on Friday nights.

_This was great, just great. How the hell am I going to get out of this one?_ Ven didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't. Maybe, this wasn't where they were eating, and they were just stopping here for some odd reason? Hopefully. There's no harm in asking now that we're near a restaurant.

"Is this where we're eating?" _Please God,_ he thought,_ say that we're not eating at Chanterelle. Anywhere is fine but there. _

Namine blushed. "Well, I guess it's no longer a secret. Yes, we're eating at Chanterelle, I hope you don't mind."

Actually, Ven did mind – in fact, Chanterelle was the last place he wanted to be at the moment. But he couldn't let Namine know that, since she'd waited so long to have dinner with him, or rather, Roxas.

"No, I don't mind at all." Ven's smile was a flawless mask, so that Namine would not be able to see how scared he was about this dinner. The two stepped out of the car and into the restaurant. There was a slight possibility that Aqua might be on break now, but that was highly unlikely. All Ven could do now was hope for the best as he and Namine walked arm and arm through the doors of his worst nightmare.

--

Those past couple days had been the best days in Roxas' life. So far, he'd seen more of the city than he had in all his years of living in it.

All of the different cultures and styles of living, they were so fascinating. Roxas had tried so many new types of food and danced to many different styles of music, and this was only in two days! Imagine what he could accomplish in the remaining days he had. He had barely been in Ven's house, waking up early and coming home late. It gave Roxas goose bumps just thinking about it.

The best part of this was that Roxas spent most of his time with Axel, who showed him most of the city and all of its hidden treasures. All of the best places to find a good bargain on clothes and the nicest views of the city. All of the best places to grab a quick bite to eat or have a delicious snack. They shared many laughs and tears when they saw a dead squirrel on the side of the rode. It was truly heaven in Roxas' mind. He would have given anything to experience the things he's doing now.

It was Friday night, Roxas was going to be eating at the soup kitchen again. Another chance to see Axel, even though he'd hung out with him all morning. Roxas didn't know what it was, but every time he thought about being with Axel, his stomach seemed to jump. It was a tingling feeling when that happened and it made Roxas feel all warm. Maybe it was all the food he'd been eating?

Roxas was getting ready to leave for dinner in Ven's room. Ven didn't have much to wear, but that didn't mean Roxas couldn't make it work. After all, he was voted best dressed in school. He stared at himself in the mirror, trying to pick out any flaws that he would possibly have.

"Ven?" A meek voice called out from a crack in the door. It was Ven's little sister Xion.

What did she want? Roxas turned around from the mirror and responded flatly, "Yeah?"

"Um, I was wondering. Since Aqua's' not here, could you sit by me at dinner tonight? You've been running off lately, and I kind of miss you." Her words seemed to pierce Roxas' heart. Poor girl, she was so little. He walked away from the mirror and gave her a hug.

"Of course I'll sit by you, and Axel will t—"

Before Roxas could finish his sentence, Xion cut him off with a quick, "No."

"No? What do you mean no?" Roxas raised an eyebrow

Xion stuttered, "I-I don't want Axel to sit by us." Her eyes wouldn't meet Roxas' as she said this.

"Why not? He's really nice." Roxas smiled warmly so Xion would feel comfortable being open with him.

She paused as to think about what she was going to respond with, "He's the one who's taking you away from us."

"Taking me away…?" Then it hit Roxas. Ven must not leave the house very often. His little sister missed his absence so much in only two days, that's not normal. Does Ven even have friends? Roxas looked at Xion, she was starting to cry, her big eyes swelling up with tears.

Roxas bent down to pat Xion's dusky hair and brought her into an embrace. "Aw, Xion. If you don't want him to sit by us, then he won't. I promise."

She sniffled and rubbed her tiny nose, "You do?"

"Yeah, I do. Now let's get you cleaned up and go to dinner." With that, Roxas led Xion out of his room and he cleaned up her tear stained face. After that they left for dinner, Ven's father said he'd meet them there. They walked hand in hand to the soup kitchen, Roxas had no idea what he was going to tell Axel.

When they reached the kitchen, both of them got on line silently, hands still holding one another. Xion's hands were so soft, and oddly cold for a little kid. How old was she again, six? When they finally reached where they receive their food, Roxas saw Axel serving food with a smile. He looked so happy, doing good for others, it made Roxas want to forget about Xion and run up to greet Axel. However, he had to remember, Xion was his – Ven's – sister. Her priorities came first. Xion seemed to be holding Roxas' hand even tighter, as if knowing his secret intentions. She was not letting go, no matter what.

Roxas pulled up his and Xion's treys in front of Axel and tried not to meet his eyes.

"Hey Ven. Long time no see?" Axel said with a smile on his face as he took some chicken wings and placed them on two plates.

Roxas blushed. Wait, _blushed_? "Yeah, heh, it's been a while." Xion squeezed his hand and stared at Axel.

"So, what are you doing later?" Roxas was starting to loose circulation in his hands. Then, out of nowhere, his cell phone started to ring. Thank God. Saved by the bell.

Roxas flipped the phone open. "Hello?"

"Who's that, Ven?" Xion and Axel both asked at the same time.

"Roxas, it's Ven. I have a question or two for you to answer." Roxas couldn't answer any questions now. He was in public, with his little sister attentively listening to his conversation.

Roxas had to get rid of Ven, even though at the moment, he was his saving grace. "Um, can we talk later, man? I'm king of in the middle of something."

Ven seemed to be getting annoyed. "Roxas, you seemed to fail to tell me about your little induction into your little smart people club." Oh shit, he did forget to tell him. He couldn't explain now though.

"The what? Oh, that. Um, yeah. Dude, can we talk later please? I'm kinda with someone now and I'd be rude of me if I talked on the phone with you." Axel was staring at him now with a questioning look on his face. Xion was just looked plain in shock that Roxas was talking on a cell phone.

"Okay, but the next time I call you I better get some answers." Ven scoffed.

"Thanks buddy! You're the best," Roxas said with much excitement. Now he could get back to trying to talk to Axel.

Before Roxas could shut the phone, an angry voice came out from the receiver, "And call me by my name too. What's with this buddy crap?" Was he serious? This was getting ridiculous.

Might as well make fun of the situation, "But darling, if I called you by your name, our secret would be exposed. I'm not alone you know."

"Darling?" Axel and Xion said at the same time again. Man, for a six year old, Xion was not oblivious. And did Roxas catch a hint of jealousy in Axel's voice? And why did it make Roxas happy?

Ven sighed in an exasperated voice, "Okay, well, just remember to call me. Okay?"

"You got it." With out another word, Roxas snapped his phone shut.

"Who was that?" Axel asked quietly.

"Oh, no one, just a friend. A very annoying friend." Roxas seemed to snarl, even though he had no right to.

Axel scooped some peas into both plates looking slightly down, "Okay, I never knew you had a cell phone."

Oh crap. Ven's never had a cell phone. Roxas had to think of something fast before it was too late, "Well, I bought it with my work money?" Xion stared at Roxas aghast. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Axel seemed to buy the lie, "Okay, well, are you gonna sit with me today?" Roxas felt another tight squeeze on his hand.

"Um, no. I promised Xion that I'd sit with her."

Axel seemed to frown, "Oh." He ran his fingers through his long, red, tied back hair.

"Well, maybe we could hang out later?"

"Yeah," another squeeze "I mean, maybe." Axel's smile turned downward as he handed Roxas and Xion their plates. The two walked to a table and Roxas started to eat.

"Who called you? And what do you mean you used work money to buy that?" Xion sounded much more mature now, her voice stern and worried.

"Don't worry about it, and no, I didn't buy the phone." Roxas quickly tried to evade Xion's questions.

"So, you stole it?" She said quietly.

"What? No, of course I didn't steal it. A friend gave it to me." Roxas never stole, but did Ven? With his lifestyle, it was possible that he might have stolen things for his family.

Xion looked at Roxas through slits, she knew something was up, "Okay, I'm just making sure. I don't want Aqua to get mad at you again." Again?

Roxas put on a face smile to reassure the child and scooped some of his dinner in his mouth, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise."

At least, he hoped he'd be all right.


	6. Dinner For Two?

AHHHHH! So, I'm not dead! And in honor of AkuRoku Day [8/13], I updated this chapter fooooooooooor you! haha. I hope to finish this story, even if it takes me forever and a day. I hope you enjoy this updated chapter! And Happy 8/13 everyone!

**Disclaimer**; yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or their characters

* * *

Chanterelle was one of the nicest restaurants in Twilight Town – it always got outstanding reviews and was always a head of the curb in new trends. It was also the place where Ven's nightmare was about to be realized.

The place smelt like exotic flowers, and looked like something out of a movie from the 1940s. The lights were dimmed to give the venue a sensual feel, but it also made it very hard to see. Maybe that was a good thing. If the lights were dimmed just enough, Aqua might not recognize Ven. However, he knew that was doubtful, since Aqua had been working at Chanterelle for two years, and her eyes had probably become well adjusted to the lighting.

Naminé quickly led Ven up to the desk where the hostess usually was stationed, almost too quickly for his taste. Surely enough, there was Aqua organizing papers and answering the phone, scribbling down names and time slots for reservations. Ven was in deep shit now. Knowing Aqua, she'd be able tell that he was here rather than some random rich , if Ven stayed quiet, maybe he'd go unnoticed.

"Table for two, please" Naminé said quietly, her hand still squeezing Ven's like she was afraid that he'd run away if she let go, which he probably would. If Namine wasn't holding his hand, Ven would be out of that restaurant in three seconds flat.

Aqua looked up from her work, hung up the phone, and looked at the pair before her. She recognized the girl as Naminé, a regular customer there. Aqua guessed that she'd finally wrangled the guy who kept on ditching her for the past week, poor girl. But the boy looked oddly familiar and very uneasy. Cute face, pale skin, blue eyes staring directly at the ground. Aqua stared at him for a little while longer, until her thoughts clicked and she put a name to the boy with the spiky blonde hair.

_It couldn't be Ven, he was with Xion, and since when does Ven hang out with girls like Miss Naminé?_ She'd have to make sure it wasn't Ven.

Aqua stopped staring at the two and ran her fingers through some papers to make it seem like she was looking for their reservation, "Oh, yes. We have your table all ready for you," she said with a smile.

_Since when does Aqua know Naminé? _Ven wondered. But then he realized that she must come to this restaurant all of the time. People as wealthy as her must go a _lot _of places all the tame

Naminé took Ven's arm as Aqua led them to the table. She didn't know just what was going on, but there was something troubling Ven greatly. Once they reached the table, Ven pulled out a chair for Naminé while anxiously watching Aqua through the corner of his eye. Her brow furrowed as if she were trying to solve a hard puzzle. Knowing Aqua, she'd see right though Ven's act. His sister was always good at seeing people ultimate motives. After Naminé was seated, his eyes never leaving Aqua's, Ven gingerly took his seat.

Aqua quietly walked over and gave the two their menus. She smiled and said before she left, "I hope you enjoy your dinner here Miss Naminé and Ven."

With that, the blonde stiffened and his blue eyes shot open. _Gotcha_, thought Aqua as she triumphantly walked back to the main entrance of the restaurant with a smirk on her face.

_Oh shit. This is it. She knows. And Roxas, oh my God, Roxas! He's going to be dead,_ Ven silently concluded. He'd told Roxas about his sister's verbally abusive streak. But when it came to Xion, Aqua sometimes resulted to more...extreme measures of discipline.

"Is everything alright, Roxas?" Ven quickly cleared his mind of the nasty thoughts when Naminé addressed him. Her big blue eyes staring at him with concern and a frown stained on her face.

Ven put on a reassuring face and sputtered, "O-oh yeah, everything's just fine. Nope, nothing's wrong here! I'm enjoying spending time with you." What a load of bull crap. But Ven had no choice but to feed Naminé lies. If he told her the truth, well, the results wouldn't be good for him or Roxas.

Naminé fiddled with her hair and bit her bottom lip. "Okay. Well, if you're uncomfortable here, we could go somewhere else to eat. Would you like that?"

_Oh hell no, that'd make matters worse! _The last thing Ven wanted to do was leave and make Aqua even more suspicious. "W-what? No!" Ven practically shouted, startling Naminé. He could not afford to leave now. Aqua already saw him and if he left, it'd only give more weight to her theory that Ven wasn't with Xion after all.

Realizing what he'd done, Ven quickly calmed down. "I mean, n-no, it's okay. Here's fine." He'd blown it with Naminé for sure. She probably thought he was some bi-polar, paranoid freak.

But Naminé simply seemed to do what she did best: smile, and say reassuringly, "Okay, I don't want you to be uncomfortable. It's your dinner too you know." This girl was way to nice to be real.

Roxas exhaled, letting his shoulders slump in relief. Maybe he could test the waters a little more. "Thanks Naminé, may I call you Nami?"

No one had ever called Naminé anything besides, well, Naminé. None of her friends ever tried to make a friendly nickname for her. Everyone usually thought that she was too refined for that sort of thing. Roxas' sudden casual gesture took Naminé back for a second.

"Uh, sure?" She offered the best smile she could, in spite of herself.

"Cool," Ven smiled back. "It fits you well. A cute nickname for a cute girl."

Naminé's face started to turn a light shade of pink, and her ears followed suit. Even when he was pretending to be someone else, Ven was quite the charmer.

* * *

By and large, the dinner went pretty well. Once Ven broke through to Naminé, he found out that she was a very funny and sweet person. It turned out that Naminé was the national tennis champion at age 1ten, but had to stop due to a knee injury and all-around fragile health. That didn't come as a shock to Ven though, she looked like a ghost anyway.

They shared some laughs and Ven even forgot that he was Roxas, until Naminé addressed him as such. It made Ven wish for a moment that he could tell her who he really was, but then he remembered that if he wasn't Roxas, Naminé might not even have talked to him.

When they left the restaurant, Ven tried to look for Aqua, but she was no where to be found. It made his stomach sink. He hoped Roxas would be alright. But hoping will only get a person so far. Ven quickly forced the thought out of his mind and led Namine to the limo. Maybe some more time with Naminé would take his mind off of his fortune at Roxas' expense.

* * *

Peas.

Roxas had never liked peas. They would always feel and taste weird in his mouth. Whenever Roxas had to eat peas, he'd take a bunch of them in his mouth and swallow them whole, with the help of water of course. But today Roxas didn't even bother - he seemed to lack even the energy to care. Roxas used his spork to push the peas from one side of his plate to the other, making sure they didn't collide with any other food he had on his plate.

"Ven?" Xion looked at her brother, who hadn't touched any of his peas. Ven usually loved his peas and thought of them as the best part of his meal.

"Huh? Oh, what?" Roxas snapped out of his trance and addressed his (Ven's) little sister.

Xion looked down at Roxas' plate. "You haven't touched your peas. Is there something wrong? Was it something I said?" Her eyes started to water. Screw little kids and their ability to cry on the spot.

"W-what? No, not at all," Roxas patted Xion on the head reassuringly

He sighed and uttered, "I'm just thinking about something, that's all," Roxas' gaze started to move toward Axel, who was now serving Ven's father his dinner with a smile. Even in frumpy kitchen worker clothes, Axel still managed to look very... striking.

Amid his reverie, Roxas noticed a commanding figure by the entrance of the soup kitchen: tall woman, with short bluish-grey hair, who was dressed far too nicely to be going to a soup kitchen. Her eyes were intense, searching until they finally landed on Roxas.

Aqua had driven like a mad woman just to get to the soup kitchen before the Ven lookalike could. She made sure she left once their dinner was served and so that she could go unnoticed. However once she entered the kitchen, she saw Ven sitting with Xion, staring at the guy who was serving Dad. Aqua rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining things. She hoped that once her vision came back, there would be no Ven sitting at that table, but no such luck. There was Ven, who was now staring straight at her.

_Huh? What! I was sure that was Ven back there! This is impossible. _

Aqua swiftly walked over to Roxas and Xion's table and snapped Roxas out of his daze by slamming her hands down on the table, causing his plate to jump and spill some peas on the ground.

Roxas' eyes shot open. There were suddenly peas in his lap. Roxas jumped from his chair and started to wipe his (Ven's) already stained pants. _Gross!_

"What did you do that for? Roxas almost shouted as he wiped the peas off his lap and onto the floor. Aqua's face looked confused, like she wasn't sure if he was really there.

Aqua narrowed her eyes. _Playing dumb are we? _"You know exactly why," she said

"Um, actually, I don't." Roxas crossed his arms as he addressed Aqua.

"Well if you don't know, then why did I see a boy that looked _exactly_ like you at my job? Do you have anything to tell me Ven? Because I really would love to hear you get out of this one," Aqua snarled, arms crossed as well.

_What? There's no way that she could have seen Ven. Unless… oh no. His date with Naminé._ Roxas quickly composed himself and simply responded, "Look, I've been here with Xion all night. She can vouch for me, right Xion?" Roxas turned to look at Xion but she stayed silent, holding on to her father's shoulder as he ate his dinner. _Damn brat. _

Aqua gave Roxas a look that made his skin crawl. Her eyes were now slits and her mouth slipped into a smirk that would make the Cheshire Cat run and hide.

Roxas' face started to go pale as Aqua uttered, "Oh Ven, you're so bad at lying." She reached out and grabbed Roxas' shirt and pulled him up to eye level.

Aqua spoke through gritted teeth, "Ven, I want you to stop fucking around and tell me. Were you, or were you not, at Chanterelle toni—"

"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" Aqua's face froze as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Axel's hand. Aqua dropped Roxas from her grasp and snapped around to look at Axel.

Aqua sighed. "No, there's nothing wrong at all."Axel's face was calm and his lips were turned up in a slight smile as Aqua glowered at him.

"Good. Because if there was something wrong, I'd have to ask you to leave," Axel said in a polite tone. Aqua looked at Axel, who was smiling cordially at her, then at Roxas who was now positioned slightly behind Axel. She decided it wasn't worth it to try and get Ven for this now. Her time would come later, when this Axel guy wasn't in the way. With a huff, Aqua stormed off to the dinner line to grab a trey even though she'd already eaten dinner.

"Hey Roxas, are you okay?" Axel asked as he moved closer to Roxas' face. "You look pale."

Roxas looked at Axel with wide eyes. _Oh, man. If Axel hadn't come here I'd be in deep shit..._

He was getting closer, extending out his arm to touch Roxas' face, "Um, I'm fine. Really. Don't worry about me." Roxas quickly positioned himself so that Axel could not get any closer. The blonde rubbed his cheek nervously.

Axel retracted his hand. "Okay, I was just wondering. You know, if you want a break from your house, you could always stay at my place for the night. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind. We have a spare room so it would be no trouble at all." He smiled slightly. "Also, I really don't think that, for you, going home tonight would be the best idea." His eyes diverted over to Aqua who was receiving her dinner.

The idea of staying over at Axel was very tempting, but sooner or later, Roxas would have to face Aqua, and he was the kind of person who liked to get confrontations over and done with.

"Thanks Axel, but I'm going to have to pass on this one," Roxas answered bitterly. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Ven was pacing in Roxas' large room, thinking about the possible consequences of Aqua's violence towards Roxas. _What if she hits him? Would I be liable for that? Shit, I can't afford a lawsuit. Maybe she just yelled at him. God, I hope that's all she did. But, knowing Aqua and her anger, we can't count on that._

"Excuse me, Master Roxas?" a voice called from the doorway. Ven stopped mid-pace and whipped his head around to find a tall, young-looking guy with brown hair. Roxas never told Ven that they had hired help, but then again, Roxas was a member of one of the wealthiest families in the city. Those kinds of perks were expected, Ven supposed.

Ven cleared his thoughts and replied. "Yes?"

"Your mother is on the phone, and she wants to talk to you. But, I can see that you're preoccupied with other matters... I'll tell her you're busy," the boy said with a nervous laugh and swiftly turned away to start walking down the hall.

_Huh? What?_ "Wait!" Ven called as he stretched out his arm making a stop signal with his hand before the kid could walk away completely.

The brunette boy's head was back in the entryway of the door. "Yes Master Roxas?" he said in a formal tone, eyes questioning.

"T-thanks." Were the only words that Ven could communicate to the confused housekeeper.

"No problem?" the kid answered with a slightly raised eyebrow. His head soon disappeared from the door, and his footsteps gradually grew quiet.

Soon after he left, Ven leaped onto Roxas' bed and crushed his head into a pillow and started to scream. Tears were soon streaming down his face and soon the pillow was wet from crying so much. Ven's mother always told him the best way to relieve stress was to shout out all your troubles into a pillow. As of now, Ven had a lot of troubles that he needed to get off of his chest and onto the pillow.

* * *

**Author's Note;** So, I've been having trouble with separating parts in my chapters, but now I've finally found a way to do it. So, I hope there's no more confusion on where Roxas' thoughts start and Ven's end.


End file.
